Extraction 2
review by Bobby Blakey
Chris Hemsworth has cemented himself the MCU’s God of Thunder Thor for years, but in 2020 he took on the role of Tyler Rake in the Netflix original action flick Extraction. The film kicked all kinds of butt and was a big enough hit for the streaming platform for them to get the gang back together for the follow up aptly titled Extraction 2 co-starring Golshifteh Farahani reprises her role from the first film, with Adam Bessa, Olga Kurylenko, Daniel Bernhardt and Tinatin Dalakishvili and director Sam Hargrave returning to the helm. Could this offer up more of the action that made the first film so awesome or should Rake have stayed dead?
Extraction 2 follows Tyler Rake after barely surviving the events of the first movie, Rake is back as the Australian black ops mercenary, tasked with another deadly mission: rescuing the battered family of a ruthless Georgian gangster from the prison where they are being held.
I love the first film and as much as I wanted more from this series I was a bit concerned if they could capture the same magic without it feeling forced. Like the previous outing I loved this one. It is bigger and better while still infusing the familiar perfection of the previous film. With our action standards being dictated by franchises like Ip Man, John Wick and The Raid it has become harder and harder to stand alongside these greats, but both Extraction films do just that with.
The story picks up after the events of the previous film with a simple enough explanation and moving forward to bring the character back into unwanted action. This offers up a slow start that not only sets up the events that will kick off the high octane bullet flying action for the majority of the film, but also character building for both the story arc here and the possible future of the franchise.
Hemsworth is so great in this role. I love him as Thor, but think this is a way
better role for him and one that will likely stand high on its own. He brings the depth and emotion to this hardened soldier and carries the action to perfection. Like the first film there is a story here and it works, but we all know we are here for the action. They pull no punches in what they can do with the action and stepping it up from the previous film. It felt like it was multiple massive action set pieces blended with the fights and shoot outs spreading across a variety of locales and settings.
The majority of this film is just an ongoing fight and shoot out spectacle of perfection that will keep you on the edge of your seat watching the bullets rip through everything on screen. I was hoping for a good follow-up and want we got was a sequel that I think surpasses the first film. I hope Hemsworth sticks with this role past this entry because he is just damn good all around in it. He is Tyler Rake. The rest of the cast are fine and Farahani gets to get in on plenty of the action as well and kicks some major ass. Sure there are some more over the top action moments, but I was here for it right up until the ending that gives hope to the future.
If you are a fan of the first film, Hemsworth of just action in general then decide for yourself and check out Extraction 2 when it hits Netflix on June 16th.